Best Herbs For Your Horse in Spring (and Summer too)

SSeems like we’re all celebrating spring. I hear the birds chirping and I see my girls kicking up and running around the field, tails up, snorting and bucking. The warmer weather, the flowers, the green grass!

But… Winter is never easy for animals in general, especially horses

It doesn’t matter if your horse is a senior, yearling, pleasure or a performance horse… They all can use some extra help to build energy and overcome any nutritional imbalances after any winter season. So what’s the best spring cleaning for your horses body?

A Spring Tonic

They’re called spring tonic herbs and they’re plants that help revive your horse’s body, especially after a long sedentary winter of less than optimal eating.

These herbs are among the first to arrive on the spring scene, and they’re very helpful in cleansing the body of toxins and shedding excess water.

In a normal horses “spring fling”, tonic herbs
are usually the very first thing they’re searching for

Here’s Why

(it’s like the best horse supplements direct to your horses body)

Herbs nourish the body and contain key vitamins, minerals
(and can be a versatile and healthy addition to your horse’s diet)

They promote health and healthy aging

Tonic herbs are defined as “herbs that promote a long, healthy, vibrant, happy life, without side effects.”

Tonic herbs benefit your horse’s well being in ways that more common foods cannot. They have a protective, balancing, vitalizing quality beyond that of any other herbs.

They’re generally consumed as a supplement to a well balanced healthy diet
(for the purpose of completing our nutritional needs and enhancing our nutritional profile)

Some of these herbs for horses act primarily to provide nutrients, vitamins, minerals and sugars

The most valuable are:

kelp

alfalfa

burdock

rosehips

oat straw

dandelion leaf

In addition to providing some of these nutrients, they act to balance and stimulate the energy of the organs, improving their ability to assimilate and utilize nutrients. It’s also one of the best natural horse vitamin and mineral supplements.

4 Types Of Spring Tonic Herbs

Cleansing herbs

Milk thistle – is a super food for protecting, detoxifying and regenerating the liver, one of the most important organs of the human body and your horses body too.

As the master detoxifier, blood purifier and root of stability for all other systems it is largely responsible for the condition of everyone’s bloodstream. When we nourish it and keep it healthy the entire body feels the results.

Burdock – Used for centuries as a “blood purifier” to clear the bloodstream of toxins, burdock is a diuretic – helping your horses body to shed excess water.

It has relatively strong antioxidant activity, and even has prebiotic properties that support the good bacteria in their digestive system. Used topically, burdock is excellent for easing skin problems.

Dandelion root – The root can be used to eliminate toxins, treat liver congestion, increase bile production, and help weak digestion.

The entire dandelion plant is edible, and higher in vitamins and minerals (especially Vitamin A) than most foods.

Calendula – is an excellent herb for the lymphatic and urinary systems. It reduces inflammation and being rich in sulfur has excellent blood cleansing and anti-fungal actions.

It is also used to treat skin conditions and gastric complaints.

Cleavers – used to support and tone the lymphatic system. It is good for soft swelling and fluid retention; being mildly diuretic it is particularly good for windgalls or filled legs.

It is rich in silica and such will help strengthen coat and hair.

Licorice – is a deliciously sweet and unctuous tonic that is known as a “harmonizing” or “supporting herb”. This is due to its effectiveness at enhancing the main properties of other herbs.

It is also known for its detoxifying effects that help to eliminate toxins from the body. These cleansing attributes are said to “allow for all energies to flow more smoothly.”

Stimulating herbs

Mint – All mints in the mint family work to improve and clear the senses as well as increase the flow of energy in a very pleasant and uplifting way.

Siberian ginseng – It is famous for its energy restoring and strength building properties as the ultimate “chi tonic”. Stimulates the body, but is nourishing to both the endocrine and central nervous system.

Cinnamon – is valued throughout history for its flavor and sweet, aromatic scent. This incredible bark is one of the best herbal stimulants and is a great addition.

It has demulcent qualities that balance with other herbs. Its oils are antimicrobial and warming to the body. Cinnamon is high in antioxidants and is known to help regulate blood sugar levels.

Dandelion root – It has great hepatic action, being used to stimulate the liver and increase production of bile.

Adaptogen herbs

Adaptogen herbs help the body to “adapt” to stress, fatigue, anxiety and traumas from the external environmental influences or internal imbalance.

They can naturally stimulant the metabolic systems of the body by deeply nourishing and building long term energy.

Ashwagandha – is a rejuvenating tonic and “energizer” for the entire body. The root is highly prized for its nourishing effects on the nervous system and brain cell function, helping to relieve physical fatigue, nervous exhaustion, anxiety as well as depression.

Nettle – is a rich source of iron, calcium, folic acid, and Vitamin K, this spring tonic is loaded with nutrition and strengthens many body systems including the kidneys and adrenals.

It can be used as a treatment for arthritis, anemia, skin problems, urinary infections, allergy symptoms, and even as a mane and tail rinse to make hair glossier.

Oat straw – is used as a nerve tonic to calm and relax the body. It is an excellent nutritive herbal containing active alkaloids including trigonelline, avenine, silica, calcium and gramine, plus B vitamins.

Red clover – is great for the skin because of its cleansing and tonic effects. It grows wild all over the world and has been used as a food and fuel for domestic animals because it is so nutrient dense. It is known to break up stagnation’s in the body

Raspberry leaves – It is great nutritive herb that is especially high in easily digested chelated iron, as well as other vitamins and minerals.

Rosehips – are a rich source of vitamin C as well as vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin K and volatile oil. The high vitamin C levels will help the horse fight off infection and restore natural defenses.

Kelp – contains 20 times more vitamins and minerals that land vegetables. Kelp is very high in iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, bromine, vanadium and sodium.